Yankees swept in doubleheader in Houston despite Judge's 34th home run

HOUSTON – The Yankees provided themselves with one more piece of motivation Thursday for securing the American League’s best record by the end of the regular season.

By once again failing to hit Astros starting pitching, the Yankees were swept in a doubleheader at Minute Maid Park, falling, 3-2, in the first game, then beaten 7-5 in the nightcap, despite Aaron Judge’s MLB-leading 34th homer.

Though the Yankees (64-30) still have the best record in the sport, the Astros (61-32) pulled within 2 ½ games of them for the American League’s best mark. The Astros won five of the seven meetings between the clubs and, by winning the season series that means, should the teams be tied at the end of the regular season, Houston would get homefield advantage in the case of a postseason meeting that increasingly seems inevitable.

Yankees fans paying attention to their favorite team’s performance in this ballpark the last half-decade or so, especially in the postseason, need no reminding of why that could be significant come October.

“That’s huge. Homefield advantage is definitely important,” Giancarlo Stanton said between games. “We have to make sure we get it.”

“That’s big-time. That’s something we’re striving for, especially how well we’ve been playing at home, how rowdy our fans are,” Judge said after the doubleheader of having the best record. “That’s something that is definitely on our mind.”

But not season-defining, either. Manager Aaron Boone, Judge and the rest of the Yankees will correctly point out that regardless of the regular season record vs. Houston – whether they went 7-0 or 0-7 – the can-the-Yankees-beat-these guys-when-it-counts narrative will carry into October. And that’s because of a nondescript postseason past that includes a loss to the Astros in the 2015 AL wild-card game, then ALCS losses in 2017 and 2019.  

“October’s a different ballgame,” Judge said. “Things are completely different. Teams are different. This is just kind of the practice test. Every team we play it’s a little practice test, see how we stack up. Take your notes, then get ready for the real thing.”

Should there be an October meeting, the Yankees will have to figure out a way to get to the Astros' arms.

In the opener, a Yankees offense that totaled 27 runs in taking the final two games of last weekend’s four-game set with the Red Sox at the Stadium were mostly held in check by Astros pitching, limited to five hits.

In the second game, the Yankees were getting outhit 7-4 entering the ninth – and trailing 7-2 – before Isiah Kiner-Falefa and pinch hitter DJ LeMahieu singled, which preceded Judge sending one over the train tracks in left to make it 7-5. Righty Rafael Montero allowed a single to Gleyber Torres, bringing Matt Carpenter up as the tying run. But Carpenter, red hot so much of his time with the Yankees, grounded into a game-ending double play.

Entering the day, Astros starters had a 1.67 ERA in five starts against the Yankees this season, a trend that very much continued Thursday.

Cristian Javier, who threw seven no-hit innings in the Astros combined no-hitter vs. the Bombers June 25 at the Stadium, allowed one run and two hits over five innings Thursday afternoon in lowering his season ERA to 3.13. The lone run came on LeMahieu’s homer in the fifth that cut the Yankees’ deficit to 2-1.

Luis Garcia allowed two runs – both coming on a Gleyber Torres' two-run homer – and three hits in the nightcap in improving to 8-5, 3.65. He completely outperformed Domingo German, making his season debut after starting the season on the 60-day IL with right shoulder impingement syndrome. German was not sharp in allowing five runs and six hits – including back-to-back homers by Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman in the first – over three innings, putting his team in a 5-0 hole after two.

“The narrative’s not going to change until you beat them in the playoffs,” Boone said. “We beat them four of six last year…where did that get us? I understand it’s a big story. I understand the season that we’re in. It’s not going to matter (until) October. We think we’re really good. They’re really good…ultimately, we may have to slay the dragon. If it comes down to October (against the Astros), the proof will be in the pudding.”